Pokemon Rumble U will use Wii U GamePad to read toy figures

Some major details have been revealed regarding Pokemon Rumble U, which is due out for the Wii U in Japan on April 24. It looks like Nintendo is getting in on the whole toy craze as the upcoming title will use near field communication (or NFC), which utilizes the GamePad as a reader for nearby Pokemon figures.

Players will be able to purchase readable figures at Pokemon Center stores in Japan the day Pokemon Rumble U launches. There will be six standard figures and one special figure available on day one, and so far only Pikachu has been confirmed.

There's currently no confirmed release date for Pokemon Rumble U in North America. With both Skylanders and Disney Infinity being strong players in the interactive video game toy department, you have to wonder if there's really enough room for Pokemon. There's undoubtedly an audience that would love to collect these toys, but we'll have to wait and see how it all plays out.